Middle Atlantic

he season was a study in contrasts: unusually balmy through early January, but often quite chilly, even bitterly so, in the second half of the period.The warm weather in December showed no connection to half-hardy or "lingering" species, which were noted in average or below-average numbers, and no real influxes of boreal birds appeared with the onset of cold weather, aside from minor increases in waterfowl and whitewinged gulls.Precipitation was below average in most areas, and snowfall was negligible except in the highest elevations (and even then below average).In a year with alcids•especially Dovekie and Common Murre--breaking records along the East Coast, Maryland had several highlights from a single pelagic trip, but for the first time in over a decade not a single birding trip left port in Virginia.The mix of rarities--Green-tailed Towhee, Yellow Rail, Tropical Kingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, blue-morph Ross's Goose, Wood Stork--was whelming, if not overwhelming.WATERFOWL THROUGH WOOD STORK In Virginia, up to 11 Greater White-fronted Geese were reported in the Mountains and Valleys (Augusta, Staunton, Russell) 5 Dec-26 Feb, with the largest count being 6 at Elk Garden, Russell (T.Idunter, B. Riggs), and 4 were between three locations in the w.Coastal Plain (Fairfax.King William, Surry) 10 Dec-4 Feb, with 2 in the Piedmonl in Culpeper 25 Feb (TMD).Maryland reported 8 Greater White-fronteds 5 Dec-23 Feb, including 2 ad.flavirostris near Union Mills 25 Jan-9 Feb (RFR et al.) and one in Calvert, MD 4 Feb (JLS et al.).An imm.dark-morph Ross's Goose at Chincoteague N.W.R. 15 Dec (?HTA) furnishes the 3rd sight report of this rare morph in the state--and one of very few on the East Coast.Only two other reports of the species came from Virginia: from Staunton (AL) and Prince William (KG et al.) in Jan.In Maryland, Ross's Geese were widespread again (reports of 14 total, 7 Dec-25 Feb), and it is apparent that the many fewer Virginia reports of the species in recent years (the species is regular at Chincoteague N.WR.) indicate waning zeal in reporting the species rather than an actual decline.Cackling Goose, which has come to occupy the niche of birderinterest once held by Ross's, was reported in 13 locations in Virginia, with the peak count of 5 coming from Bell's Lane, Staunton, Augusta 21 Dec (AL).Other Virginia counts above 2 came from the Rte. 3 ponds in King George 3 Dec (3; FA) and near Radford 3 Jan (4; C. Kessler).Sixty-eight Cackling Geese were reported in Maryland 3 Dec-2 Feb, with a high of 5 at Westminster Res.11 Dec (RFR).A Snow Goose x Canada Goose hybrid was noted at Elk Neck, Cecil, MD 7 Jan (WE et al.).The only report of Barnacle Goose was from Meadow L., Garrett 1-3 Dec (,JLS).In Virginia, 2 Trumpeter Swans (one dearly from the Ohio program) turned up at Airlie, Fauquier 10 Dec-28 Feb, with one marked with neck collar reading "OA4."In Maryland, one continued at Oxbow, Kent through 2 Mar (M.Stutzman et aL), one from a Canadian introduction program (with patagial tag "962") at Upper Marlboro, Prince Georgek through 27 Feb (ph.S. J. Davies), and a pair with 5 yearlings cruised Fairlee Cr. 16 Dec (L.& N. Dulak et al.).Counts of 1000 Gadwalls and 1000 American Wigeons came from Piscataway Park, Prince Georgek, MD 10 Dec (T.Fetid, Bid); no other concentrations came close to four digits.Five male Eurasian Wigeons in Virginia and 3 in Maryland, 1 Dec-3 Mar, was about normal, all in the Coastal Plain.The decline of Northern Pintail is most palpable in the s.parts of the Region; Armistead managed to count 475, a good recent count, at Blackwater N.W. IL 12 Feb.The only Eurasian Teal of the season was a male at Great Oak Pond, Kent 15-18Jan (WE).An injured female Blue-winged Teal was on the New R. in Radford 21 Dec-3 Jan (C.Kessler); 10 were still at Elliott I. I6 Dec (BH).Numbers of Redhead were reported only from Maryland, where the high was just 410 on the Honga R. 12 Feb (IdTA); all other Aythya were in predictable numbers and locations.The only certain King Eider reported was an imm.male at Ocean City Inlet 19 Feb (E.Starling); that location also had the only Common Eiders in the Region, with a whopping I7, including 8 ad.males, 5 Dec+ (S.Dyke, m.ob.).Harlequin Duck reports included one to 2 at Ocean City (2 Jan-10 Mar), one at Point Lookout, MD (17 & 24 Feb), and an imm.male at C.B.B.T. 12 Dec (S.Devan, E Blyston, B. Williams) through at least 13 May (ESB et al.).Rare for the mts.at any time, a subad.male White-winged Scoter was at Whitethorn, Garrett, MD 25 Feb-4 Mar (M.Hafner).One at Cumberland 4 Feb (D. Yeany II) and 2 at Little Seneca Res., Montgomery 18-20 Feb and one akm upriver from Little Falls 22-24 Feb (both DCz et al.) were equally rare for Maryland's w. half.A Longtailed Duck at L. Shenandoah, Rockingham 16 Dec (G.Moyers) furnished one of few recent county records.A possible female Barrow's Goldeneye was seen a! Hooper's I., MD 14 (HTA) & 15 Jan (D. Cole).Mergansers and Ruddy Ducks wintered in average numbers for recent years.Wfid Turkey continues to proliferate, whereas Northern Bobwhite slowly disappears, and the introduced Ring-necked Pheasant has nearly vanished from the Region; reports of the latter were restricted to Maryland at three locations, with a high of 3 at Carmichael, Queen Annek 19 Jan (D. Poet).Common Peafowl has become locally common around Church Creek, Dorchester, MD, where 11 were counted 29 Dec (B.Mumford).Red-throated Loons where rare in Virginia were on the Shenandoah R., Clarke 1-3 Dec 0. Coleman, E Bogar), and at Kerr Res., Mecklenburg 4 & 13 Jan (fide AD; A. Bryan), the latter now a more-expected locale in the Piedmont for this species.A few were located in the greater D.C. area as well.Patient searching at Kerr Res.netted D'Onofrio another Pacific Loon, 10 Dec and 4 Jan.The only coastal Pacific Loon was one seen in a large loon and duck flight at Cape Charles, Northampton 13 Dec (ESB).Maryland had no reports of this species.A grand flight of Common Loons--885--passed hawkwatchers at Snickers Gap, on the line between Clarke and Loudoun 3 Dec (B.Abrams, J. Boudreau); in Maryland, 400+ passed Monument Knob the same day (D.Weesner).A Western Grebe was studied critically in the Potomac R. off Washington's Birthplace, VA 14 Jan (p.a.; C. Turner); this is a Maryland record.Only a dozen Red-necked Grebes were reported Regionwide; and aside from a single at Leadenham Cr., Talbot, MD 17 Dec (D. Curson, RFR), the only Eared Grebes were at S. Hoiston L., the only reliable spot in the Region for this w.species.A count of 64 Pied-billed Grebes at Loch Raven Res.27 Jan (D. Terry) was heartening.A Manx Shearwater at C.B.B.T. I4 Jan (BTa) was remarkably only the 2nd sight report for this well-watched spot.The only report of Northern Fulmar came from a 25 Feb pelagic trip off Ocean City, 22 birds total (PG et al.).In recent years, American White Pelicans are not nearly as numerous in Virginia as 242 NORTH AUERICAN BIRDS Middle Atlantic Todd M. Day I Edward S. Brinkley he season was a study in contrasts: unusually balmy through early January, but often quite chilly, even bitterly so, in the second half of the period.The warm weather in December showed no connection to half-hardy or "lingering" species, which were noted in average or below-average numbers, and no real influxes of boreal birds appeared with the onset of cold weather, aside from minor increases in waterfowl and whitewinged gulls.Precipitation was below average in most areas, and snowfall was negligible except in the highest elevations (and even then below average).In a year with alcids•especially Dovekie and Common Murre--breaking records along the East Coast, Maryland had several highlights from a single pelagic trip, but for the first time in over a decade not a single birding trip left port in Virginia.The mix of rarities--Green-tailed Towhee, Yellow Rail, Tropical Kingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, blue-morph Ross's Goose, Wood Stork--was whelming, if not overwhelming.WATERFOWL THROUGH WOOD STORK In Virginia, up to 11 Greater White-fronted Geese were reported in the Mountains and Valleys (Augusta, Staunton, Russell) 5 Dec-26 Feb, with the largest count being 6 at Elk Garden, Russell (T.Idunter, B. Riggs), and 4 were between three locations in the w.Coastal Plain (Fairfax.King William, Surry) 10 Dec-4 Feb, with 2 in the Piedmonl in Culpeper 25 Feb (TMD).Maryland reported 8 Greater White-fronteds 5 Dec-23 Feb, including 2 ad.flavirostris near Union Mills 25 Jan-9 Feb (RFR et al.) and one in Calvert, MD 4 Feb (JLS et al.).An imm.dark-morph Ross's Goose at Chincoteague N.W.R. 15 Dec (?HTA) furnishes the 3rd sight report of this rare morph in the state--and one of very few on the East Coast.Only two other reports of the species came from Virginia: from Staunton (AL) and Prince William (KG et al.) in Jan.In Maryland, Ross's Geese were widespread again (reports of 14 total, 7 Dec-25 Feb), and it is apparent that the many fewer Virginia reports of the species in recent years (the species is regular at Chincoteague N.WR.) indicate waning zeal in reporting the species rather than an actual decline.Cackling Goose, which has come to occupy the niche of birderinterest once held by Ross's, was reported in 13 locations in Virginia, with the peak count of 5 coming from Bell's Lane, Staunton, Augusta 21 Dec (AL).Other Virginia counts above 2 came from the Rte. 3 ponds in King George 3 Dec (3; FA) and near Radford 3 Jan (4; C. Kessler).Sixty-eight Cackling Geese were reported in Maryland 3 Dec-2 Feb, with a high of 5 at Westminster Res.11 Dec (RFR).A Snow Goose x Canada Goose hybrid was noted at Elk Neck, Cecil, MD 7 Jan (WE et al.).The only report of Barnacle Goose was from Meadow L., Garrett 1-3 Dec (,JLS).In Virginia, 2 Trumpeter Swans (one dearly from the Ohio program) turned up at Airlie, Fauquier 10 Dec-28 Feb, with one marked with neck collar reading "OA4."In Maryland, one continued at Oxbow, Kent through 2 Mar (M.St

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